1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting cables to one another in order to provide improved electrical characteristics of the connected cables.
2. Background
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional arrangement for connecting cables to one another using a joint terminal, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B--B of FIG. 1.
The joint terminal 28 has a pair of opposed clamping pieces 30 and 30 integrally formed respectively on opposite sides of a base plate portion 29. Conductor wires 33 and 34 of two covered or sheathed cables 31 and 32 are placed in parallel on the base plate 29, and the clamping pieces 30 and 30 are press-clamped relative to the conductor wires 33 and 34 by a clamping tool (not shown). The conductor wires 33 and 34 are juxtaposed on the right and left side of the base plate 29, and are in contact with each other at the central portion b (indicated by a dot-and-dash line in FIG. 2) and also through the base plate 29.
However, in the above conventional construction, the direction in which the wires are pressed (indicated by arrows c in FIG. 2) when the clamping pieces 30 and 30 are deformed is perpendicular to the direction (indicated by arrows d) of contact between the conductor wires 33 and 34. Therefore, the contact force between the conductor wires 33 and 34 is weak resulting in a corresponding small contact area and poor connection. Therefore, the electric resistance at the contact portion b is increased. Further, the connecting strength withstanding the pulling of the cables 31 and 32 in directions e-e in FIG. 1 is weak.
In view of the above problems, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and a method which improve the electrical contact resistance and connecting strength of the connected cables.